Miami ranks as the 28th most polluted city in Florida (out of 48 cities) and the 996th most polluted city in the United States (out of 1,412 cities). In 2020, Miami averaged an annual PM2. 5 concentration of 7.9 µg/m³. Recent studies and reports have concluded that the health of Biscayne Bay is at a tipping point. The ecosystem is threatened by nutrient pollution from storm-water runoff, sewage pipe breaks, septic tanks, fertilizers, plastic pollution and other contaminants. The pollution is killing seagrass and coral and driving off fish. The bay also is suffering from hyper-salinity due to a lack of freshwater. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has reported that the damage is so bad that it soon will be irreversible and it will be impossible to restore the bay to its original state. We get a lot of tourists and locals that leave trash on our beaches, this kills our ecosystem, specially because our beaches are the home of thouthans of turtle eggs, that once grown can get killed by the plastic we throw on the ocean. Overall, we have a lot of pollution due to the large population in such a small area, it is both, air quality and ocean cleaningness.

My first article talks about how air pollution in Miami could be leading to a greater amount of COVID-19 deaths. The global warming causes higher temperatures, lots of traffic creates air pollution from ozone, and this contributes to more lung problems for the people living in this city, making people with COVID-19 more propense to death. Some studies that have taken place at Ivy-Leage univeristies have done researches on this subject, coming to the conclusion that indeed, air pollution from ozone can cause higher risks for people that are affected by this virus.

2- Munzenrieder, Kyle. “Miami Has Some of the Most Polluted Soil in the World.” Miami New Times, 18 May 2010, https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/miami-has-some-of-the-most-polluted-soil-in-the-world-6519239.

The second article talks about how Miami has one of the most polluted soils in the country, higher than Chicago, London and many other urban cities. The study looked at 55 square miles of Miami (85 percent of which is covered by "parking lots, streets, large buildings, shopping centers, houses and other impervious structures") and found 16 types of polycyclic aromatic hydorcarbos (PAHs), which are toxic pollutants. Most of these pollutants come from the burning of fossil fuel, i.e., driving around in our cars.

3- South Florida, NBC 6. “New Programs in Miami Aim to Prevent Pollution from Destroying Waterways.” NBC 6 South Florida, NBC 6 South Florida, 12 May 2021, https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/new-programs-in-miami-aim-to-prevent-pollution-from-destroying-waterways/2449890/.

This last article talks about a recent plan that the City of Miami has to prevent plastic from entering the water, and by doing so, help preserve Bisayne Bay. The City plans on putting filters on manholes on the streets, on the pipes etc, so that anything that falls into that "net" can be cleaned before reaching the bay. This is a very important task since the Byscaine National Park has to be preserved, for the health of our city and the world.

CAS1: I had to watch two videos from the The Story of Stuff series for this assignment. Unlike other assignments, the two videos are unrelated, but they were still great to watch. The change story taught me about the processes for creating change in our society, which make me think of what type of change i want to see in the world, and become it; and the electronics story taught me about the products that go into making computers and many other electronic products we use everyday, seeing how much damage do to our environment made me think that the electronic companies are killing us slowly by building pieces that are not long lasting. After watching these two videos, I felt very well informed, with the first video being somewhat relevant to what I was researching. I honestly thought these videos would be uninteresting at first, but I was proven wrong. 

SP2: We met with Prof. Isabel Duque about using research tools provided by Miami Dade College for this assignment. She discussed a variety of research methods, such as using a virtual library. Then she assisted everyone in selecting a topic to research in this class, and I chose pollution in Miami. This activity was extremely beneficial to me because I can apply what she taught in all of my classes. Picking a topic for my research was also quite interesting, as it had to be limited to local issues in our city. At first, I didn't think her presentation would be useful, but it was very informative.

CAS3: Prior to beginning this assignment, I had a good understanding of the topic of climate change. This includes its causes, effects, and potential strategies for slowing it down. I watched two very interesting videos, one talked about how seaweed can prevnt the CO2 emission from cow burt (which I had no idea was an issue in the first place) and the other talked about the many ways we can use the ocean to our advantage in the mission of saving our planet. Before beginning, I expected this assignment to be fairly simple, as all that was required was a summary and reflection. I also expected it to be one of the more enjoyable assignments, which it was.

CAS2: This assignment is very similar to CAS3, except that it is about articles. In comparison to CAS3, I was less knowledgeable about the topic of education and racial bias. However, I find this subject to be very interesting to research, so I anticipated that it would be somewhat enjoyable as well. As the articles dealt with students and mental health, I expected to find topics that might be relevant to this assignment. We have to acknowledge the sad truth that some racial bias may exist from the professor and work towards fixing this. Education is the base of everything and our country needs to make sure we make it fair and accessible.

The Story of Electronics focuses on the environmental damages cause by e-waste. "Design for the bump" is basically companies creating electronics of a short life so that us, the consumers, buy more. The video shows how this process works, going from the mines and factories where gadgets are created to the backyard of recycling shops, where their life "ends". These electronics are dangerous for our health, affecting the factory, workers, the users and the people leaving in villages close to these dumping places. Everything is designed to become obsolete within a short amount of time, it includes gadgets we use daily, phones, TVs, tablet, PC, etc. We need greener electronics in our shelves, at the end, it is for the benefit of us all.

II-2: The Story of Change

https://www.storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-change/

In the Story of Change asks you what kind of changer are you. This video shows the 3 key steps to create a change: a revolutionary idea, a community of like minded people, and to take action. In the video it is argued that it is not bad shoppers/reclycling putting our future at risks, bad policies and business practices are. It is explored through out the video the history of change, like Gandhi and MLK, they took action on what they believed in, which is the missing key in our society now days. If we were to come up with big ideas, team up, come together as one and actually go out there to make a change, we the people can actually see a difference. 

III Reflection A:

I, as a global citizen, have the role of making the planet safe for future generations, to take care of the Earth. We all need to consume products, to eat, to have a better lifestyle, etc; however, we need to dispose of these products correctly, recycle, and teach others how to do the same. We need to educate ourselves on these matter since it is important for our future. We need to also teach our younger generations how important their role as a golbal citizen is. I think that the missing piece in creating a better future for ourselves and the planet is to take action, a small group of people is doing so, but united we will thrive.

III Reflection B:

After watching The Story of Stuff videos, i have learned the impact that I make to the health of the planet. We are all wanting to buy the latest gadgets, have the best technology and so, but we need to reflection on the damage that these cause. Our need to be constantly consuming unnecessary materialistic stuff is damaging the health of the workers in the factories, contaminating the water on small villages, affecting the health of the people that live close to a dumping station and last but not least, releasing toxins into the atmosphere, making our planet inhospitable little by little. Overall, I will take action and spread awareness on this matter.

This story talks about sustaining pedagogy, it is a learning experience for educators as well as students, and a way to change practices that are destructive into people, communities and the planet. Culturally sustaining work can be as simple as taking a city bus for a school field trip instead of a school bus. "Anthony Jackson, a director who oversees principals in the Los Angeles Unified School District and former teacher and principal, says it’s important that parents don’t feel left out of the work that is happening at schools, while at the same time fostering independence in young people". After lesson, the researchers have lunch, which is given for complimentary by WA-BLOC, and after that head to other enhancement activities such as writing, basketball, coding, cultivating, craftsmanship, and more. The thought is to induce them to undertake modern things whereas still having fun. The in-class exercises too lock in understudies to think approximately their personalities, and how they need to be operators of alter in their communities. The program comes full circle with a Day of Social Activity at the school, driven by youthful individuals who select what issues they need to conversation about. Each year the WA-BLOC Opportunity Schools program has had unmistakable comes about. When it started, numerous understudies who lived up to two miles absent had to walk to school within the morning, due to Seattle Open Schools’ transportation approach. WA-BLOC saw this as a issue and started working to urge their understudies free passes for open travel, a program presently amplified to all Seattle open tall school understudies. On the scholarly side, agreeing to WA-BLOC, 84% of their Flexibility School researchers.

Teachers go to school on racial bias

This article talks about Boston-area schools are leading a shift toward culturally responsive teaching. Educators say the resulting conversations about race are difficult, uncomfortable — and absolutely necessary. The move toward social capability, also known as socially significant instruction or socially responsive educating, has been picking up energy in urban school locale all through the nation. The objective is to way better serve low-income understudies of color by recognizing and tending to imbalances built into viewpoints of educational modules plan, classroom teach and indeed student-teacher connections. Numerous teachers cite these as contributing components within the long-standing scholastic accomplishment crevice between low-income understudies of color and their more affluent white peers. The primary step, social capability defenders say, is for white instructors basically to recognize the part that racial and social inclination plays interior the building and classrooms. It’s a step that doesn’t come easily. Teachers say that he focus on implicit bias has made it easier for them to speak candidly with colleagues when they witness or experience racist incidents in their buildings. And at Cambridge Street, in addition to their weekly cultural proficiency meetings, teachers also meet monthly in affinity groups, organized by race. While that may seem antithetical to the whole idea of cultural proficiency, teachers of color say this gives them the opportunity to focus on their needs and concerns, which are less about building awareness of privilege and more about navigating a system that is still overwhelmingly white.

Reflection:

These two articles have in common "racial equality". Today’s racial value and consideration endeavors must flip that preface on its head. Rather than attempting to alter a few individuals to fit the organization, we must center on changing our organizations to fit all individuals. What I’ve realized over the six a long time since that beginning, exceptionally troublesome discussion with my staff is that our culture was the issue and had to be changed. To move toward racial value, organizational culture must prioritize humankind. Individuals require the capacity to work with the nobility of having their histories recognized and their life encounter esteemed. As it were at that point will companies be able to enroll and hold the flourishing, assorted workforce that leaders and clients need — and require — within the another decade, and past. We need to teach in school that all races must be respected, not excluded. Education is where it all starts.

This article talks about how the methane from cow burts and seaweed contributes to the climated change in our planet. The speaker mentiones how cow burps are responsible for about 2 billion tions of carbon dioxide a year, meaning that we have a methane problem from cows. He and his colleages have done a research to try and stop this methane emissions from cows, and found out that seaweed, when incorporated to the grass fed to cows, stops this harmful gases. By doing this experiment of incorporating from 60g to 150g of seaweed in cow's food, they reduced methane gas emisions by 67%. They also found out that this experiment did not affect the cow's health, it being a win for the environment, farmers and consumers. Fatty acids and oregano were found to be also aditives that would prevent the creation of methane gases on the cow's gut. A simple solution could be to stop eating beef and drinking milk, but we all know everyone will not be able tro do that, also, this two products from the cow contain vital vitamins for brain and sight development; it has actually been proven that in countries where beef and milk are not popular, there have been encountered more cases of stunting in kids from 0 to 59 months.

Article 2: The ocean's ingenious climate solutions

This TED talk is about how the ocean is often thought of as a victim of climate change, in need of human protection; however, the ocean stores carbon to provide protection to coastal communities, the speaker Ruffo,  highlights the ocean's ready-made solutions to this climate change. Ocenas produce at least 50 percent of the oxygen that we breathe, it also regulates temperature for the planet; so without the ocean, the poles would be unbearably cold and the equator would be unbearably hot, and it would be a lot harder to live here. Our oceans are actually saving us from the climate change that we have created, it is absorbing 25% to 30% of the CO2 that we release into the atmosphere. The ocean has also absorbed 90 percent of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases, so it is basically helping to keep the planet habitable, at least for now. Because all of that CO2 and heat that the ocean is absorbing, it is warming and rising and acidifying its waters, and we even have evidence now that we're changing the basic circulation of the ocean, which changes the way it regulates temperature. We need to help the ocean help us, how to do so? by stopping emissions. What if we could actually restore the world's kelp forests and actually grow kelp at a scale that we could use all of that growing power to help us sequester carbon?, we would be working for nature and not against it. 

Reflection:

I watched two different TED talks that expose solutions to stop/slow down the climate change in our planet. I learned a lot from these two videos, one was about a land problem and the other about an ocean problem. The are so many things that we do not know about our own planet. I learned that cow's burps created methane gases and that our ocean absorbed a lot of the CO2 in our planet. This definitely affects our community, we all live in the same planet, we need to be informed about the problems creating climate change as well as the solutions to it. These two videos bring out very innovative solutions, as well as simple, like adding seaweed to stop methane gasses and planing more kelp to absorb the bad emissions. These talks inspire me to do better for the planet, join more volunteering events related to beach cleaning and gas emissions.

The video's speaker basically claims that there is a huge problem with the fur coat market that no one is talking about. Russia, China, and the United States are the primary markets for fur coats. Although these fur coats are very attractive, they are harmful to animals such as minks because they harm these poor creatures in order to obtain their fur for the coats. According to the video, only "23% of use is for warmth," with the rest of the population using it for looks and fashion. They also stated that people wear fur coats to demonstrate their "status" and "wealth." Fur items are popular among many people all over the world. Because of the cold temperatures in some places, such as Russia, wearing fur is practically in their genes. In other countries, such as China, fur coats are worn as a fashion statement. Every year, nearly 400 thousand coats are sold in Russia. Fur farming and the presence of non-native species are major threats to global biodiversity. Many of the animals kept in fur farms are not native to the area, and they frequently escape. Because of the fur industry, for example, American mink, a highly invasive species, is now present in many European countries. This specific topic does not relate to me or my community since we basically have Summer year-round. I learned all about the climate problems this "fashion trend" brings to us humans habitants. 

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UFEelGMe8M

I am attending college to obtain my bachelor in Business Administration. I am currently almost achieving my AA. I see myself a lot as a business person and I have been since a young age. I am currently 22 years old. I am a realtor and a mortgage loan originator. I became a realtor at the age of 18 and I handle two business/professions while attending college full time. I have many goals and ambitions and two of those that I can share is one day having my own brokerage for real estate and my own brokerage for the mortgage.

The most important things to me in life is first  your faith, be it God or be whatever you believe, Health, Family, Love, Stability and knowledge. The rest everything is achievable and flows with life.

My hobbies are working out, listening to music, reading books and playing soccer

It was great sharing with all of you this brief description about me and I hope we can all learn more from everyone throughout the semester.